NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State baseball program captured a 16-6 victory in eight innings Friday evening at Duffy Bass Field. With the win, Illinois State improves to 24-17 and moves to 7-9 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
Illinois State's run total of 16 marks the most in a contest this season and the first time in 2026 that the Redbirds have tallied a double-digit run total in back-to-back games.
The twin brother pairing of Junior Ryan Bakes and Redshirt Sophomore Brayden Bakes combined for nine RBIs, with each tallying a grand slam, including Brayden's run-rule walk-off in the eighth inning. The Bakes brothers become the first set of twin brothers in NCAA Division I history to each record a grand slam in the same game.
Ryan added a pair of doubles to round out a three-hit performance and an additional RBI to bring his total to five in the win. The RBI total marks a new career-best, and the Algonquin, Ill. native becomes the third Redbird this season to tally five or more RBIs in a contest this season.
Senior Josh Outlaw joined the Bakes brothers with a home run of his own, with a two-run blast in the sixth inning to record his first homer of the campaign. Outlaw added a pair of hits and scored a team-best four runs in the contest.
Sophomore Eric Machej tallied three hits for the second consecutive game, matching a career-best total in a single game. Machej becomes the fifth Redbird to record at least three contests with three or more hits this season.
Graduate Camden Karczewski notched three hits in the victory to equal a season-best total. With the hit total, Karczewski has tallied 17 games with two or more hits.
Junior Michael Carrano Jr. added a pair of hits in the victory, including a two-RBI double in the second inning. Carrano Jr. joins Ryan Bakes, Outlaw, Machej, and Karczewski as one of five Redbirds to notch two or more hits in the win.
On the mound, Junior Michael Addari secured his fourth win of the campaign with another strong display. Addari tossed 6.0 innings and limited the Braves to two runs on six hits. Addari added a career-best nine strikeouts in the outing.
After a scoreless first inning, the Redbirds opened scoring as Illinois State capitalized on a Bradley error on an Outlaw single to score Karzcewski to make the score 1-0. As Outlaw advanced to second, Machej singled to place two runners on to set up Carrano Jr.'s two-RBI double to extend the Illinois State lead to 3-0. The Redbirds added another run in the frame following a Ryan Bakes RBI double to move the score to 4-0.
Trailing entering the top of the third, Bradley responded with a two-run home run to cut into the Illinois State lead and make the score 4-2. Despite the Braves' answer, Illinois State continued to grow its advantage in the home half of the inning. With a double down the left field line from Karczewski, the Redbirds placed a runner in scoring position early in the frame. Moments later, Outlaw and Carrano Jr. reached on a walk and an infield single to load the bases to set up Ryan Bakes' grand slam to extend the Redbirds lead to 8-2.
After two scoreless frames, Outlaw's two-run home run grew the Illinois State lead to 10-2 in the sixth.
An inning later, the Braves tallied their second home run of the game, a solo shot, to move the score to 10-3. In the top of the eighth, Bradley added another run with an RBI single to make the score 10-4. Moments later, the Braves loaded the bases with a walk and scored two on hit-by-pitches, cutting the Redbird advantage to 10-6.
With the advantage trimmed to four, the Redbirds responded in the bottom of the eighth. Illinois State loaded the bases with three straight singles from Karczewski, Outlaw, and Machej to open the inning. After entering the contest defensively, Senior Kannon Coakley stepped up and delivered a two-RBI single to grow the Redbird lead to 12-6.
As two runners remained on base, Ryan Bakes reached on a hit-by-pitch to load the bases and set up Brayden Bakes' run-rule walk-off grand slam to secure the Redbirds 16-6 victory.
NOTES
- The Bakes brothers become the first twin brother pairing in NCAA Division I history to each record a grand slam in the contest.
- The Redbirds recorded a season-best 16 runs in the victory, marking the most in a win since Illinois State tallied 17 against Evansville on April 11, 2025.
- With 18 hits in the win, Illinois State improves to 21-1 with a double-digit hit total this season.
- The Redbirds notched their 15th contest this season with a double-digit strikeout total this season.
- Junior Ryan Bakes tallied a career-best RBI total with five in the victory. Bakes becomes the third Redbird, joining Junior Graham Mastros and his brother Brayden, to record five or more RBIs in a single game this season.
- With his third-inning grand slam, Ryan Bakes becomes the second Illinois State hitter to surpass 10 home runs and the third Redbird with 30 or more RBIs in 2026.
- Redshirt Sophomore Brayden Bakes extended his on-base streak to 10 games, setting a new season-best streak.
- With his run-rule walk-off grand slam, Brayden Bakes joins teammate Luke Stulga as the second Illinois State player with 10 multi-RBI contests this season.
- Brayden Bakes becomes the first Redbird since Logan Leverett on March 21, 2014, to record a run-rule walk-off home run and the first Redbird grand slam since Luke Stulga on April 29, 2025, last season.
- Senior Josh Outlaw matched a career-best with three hits in the contest. Outlaw recorded his first home run of the season and his second of his career with a two-run shot in the win.
- Graduate Camden Karczewski notched a season-best three hits in the victory. Karczewski recorded his 17th multi-hit performance of the season and has now reached 40 games with two or more hits in his career.
- Sophomore Eric Machej recorded three hits for the second consecutive game. Machej becomes the fifth Redbird to record at least three contests with three or more hits this season.
- Junior Michael Carrano Jr. tallied two hits in the contest and has recorded seven multi-hit games across the campaign.
- Sophomore Louis Bussard grew his reached base streak to 12 games with a base hit in the Redbird victory.
- Junior Michael Addari matched a career-high with 6.0 innings pitched and notched a career-best strikeout total of nine to secure his fourth win of the season. Addari's outing marked his second with at least six frames tossed this season.
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